Ink-well for desks



(No Model.)

T.. G. TRITT. INK WELL :PoR DBsKs.

Patented Jan. 5. 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE GROVE TRITT, OF CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

INK-WELL FOR DESKS.

SPECIFICATION :forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,837, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed December 19, 1893. Serial No. 494,097. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom, it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, THEODORE GROVE TRITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carlisle, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ink-Vells for Desks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in ink-wells for school and other desks, and more particularly to that class of ink-wells which are tted in an opening or socket in the top of the desk as distinguished from a portable inkstand designed to rest upon the top of the desk.

The object that I have in view is to provide a simple and inexpensive contrivance in which the cover shall be held in a locked position either when closed or opened, and to securely seat the cover upon the ink-well in order to prevent the evaporation of the ink and the ingress of dust and foreign matter.

With these ends in View my improvement consists of a base iitted within a recess in the top of the desk and provided with an internal seat or flange and with a projecting ear which has its upper surface formed with a recess, a well seated on the flange within said base, a vertically-swin ging cover carrying a cushion adapted to rest upon the upper. edges of the well and provided with a pivot-ear which is extended beyond the coverproper and formed with an eccentric shoulder, a horizontal pivotpin passing through the ear of the cover and lugs on the flange of the base and a spring` fastened at one end to the base and with its free end operating in the recess of said base and impinging against the eccentric shoulder on the pivoted cover, whereby the spring has the desired play within the recess of the base in order to give to the eccentric shoulder of the cover when the latter is moved up or down, and said cover is held in locked positions by the spring when it is opened or closed, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

To enable others to more readily understand :my invention, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a vertical sectional view through my improved ink-well, a portion of the desktop being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the base, showing the same in top plan. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the cover, looking at the bottom side thereof.

Like letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which- A designates the base of my improved inkwell. This base is preferably cast in a single piece of metal, and it consists of the ring a, the flange b, and the ear c, as shown by the detail view Fig. 2 of the drawings. The ange b is within the ring a, concentric therewith and below the upper edges thereof, in order to form the seat or support for the annular rim d of the well B, which well is of such diameter and depth as to fit snugly within the ring and to depend a suitable distance below the base.

The ear o of the base extends beyond one side of the ring a, as shown by Fig. 2, and through this ear are formed the openings through which are passed the screws c by which the base is securelyfastened to the top of the desk. The portion of the ear between the openings for the screws is made solid to provide a firm bearing for one end of the spring C, which is preferably of that kind known as a leaf-spring, although a coi-led spring may be used. This end of the leafspring is fastened to the base by means of the rivet c', which passes through the spring and the base.

The ear c has a recess or depression e', formed in its upper side to enable the free end of the leaf-spring to play or move therein when the cover is turned on its pivot; and on opposite sides of this recess the ear c is furnished with lugs f f, which serve as the supports for the pivot-pin g, on which the cover D is adapted to swing in a vertical direction. This cover D is likewise cast inasingle piece of metal of a shape and size corresponding to the base A. Said cover is furnished at one end with an integral ear h, which has its lower side bulged or enlarged to formthe cam or eccentric t'.

ln the lower face of the cover is provided IOO an annular recess or a ring, in which is iitted a soft cushion E, which may be in a single piece, of disk shape or in the form of a ring, and which cushion may consist of any suitable substance, such as rubber, cork, vulcanized ber, d'c. This cushion E on the lower face of the cover is designed to rest upon the upper edge of the well B, and with said cushioned coveris combined the spring' C, adapted to press the cushion of the cover upon the ink-well and form a tight joint therewith, whereby the evaporation of the ink in said well is prevented and dust and other foreign matter is prevented from entering the well, so that the ink is in a free, good condition for, use.

The ear 7L of the cover is of such width as to iit snugly between the lugs f of the base, and through alined openings in said ear and lugs passes the pin g, which serves to pivotally connect the lid or cover to the base in a manner to enable the eoverto swing in avertieal direction. rlhe free end of the leafspring bears or impin ges against the cam or eccentric i on the pivotal ear of the cover, and said spring serves to lock the cover both when it is opened and closed. Yhen the cover is raised to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings, the cam or shoulder i depresses the free end of the spring to such an extentas to enable the cover .to move to a position beyond the vertical line -the ink-well and secure the necessary tight joint therewith.

rlhe well B may be made of glass or other suitable material, and at one side of the well it is furnished with a rib j, which takes beneath the flange b of the base.

To apply my improved ink-well to a desktop, it is only necessary to form a recess in the top surface of the desk sufficient to accominodate the base A, after which the device is fitted in said recess and fastened in place by passing the screws c through the base. The base lies iiush with the upper surface of the desktop, and the whole presents a compact, simple arrangement.

I am aware that previous to my invention an ink-well for desks has been provided with a base and a vertically-Swingin g lid or cover. Hence I disclaim this construction, broadly.

My improvement is distinguished from this prior device in that the pivotal ear of the cover is provided with an eccentric or cam and the cover itself carries on its lower side a soit cushion arranged to rest upon the inkwell, and with this coveris combined a spring, which is compactly disposed within the base and which serves to lock the cover in both its open and closed positions, and when closed the spring presses the cover down, so that the yielding cushion thereof bears firmly upon the ink-well to secure a tight joint therewith, so as to prevent evaporation of the ink and the ingress of dust, (te.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a support and cover for ink-wells, the flat cast-metal base A comprising the Ilan ged ring c and the horizontal ear cwhieh projects beyond the ring a and has its upper surface formed with the recess or depression e' and the raised lugs f, on opposite sides ot said depression, combined with a cover D having an arm 7L fitted between the lugs f and an eccentric or cam t' at its free extremity, the flat spring C riveted firmly to a solid part of the ear c next to the ring a and having its unconiined end extending into the recess f to bear upon the eccentric or cam t' of the cover7 and the pivot passing through the lugs f and the arm 7L to pivotally connect the cover to the base, all arranged and combined substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

` T. GROVE TRITT. Witnesses:

SAMUEL C. Burrznn, IRA TRITT. 

